Nebraska YMCA Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit, Twin Cities Y Expands with Mental Wellness Center

The mother of an autistic man who died in March 2017 after he was found face-down in a hot tub at Fallbrook YMCA, Lincoln, Nebraska, has filed a wrongful death suit in Lancaster County District court. Sermiera Osman is claiming her son, Samson Goitom, died due to negligence, according to a Lincoln Journal Star report. Her attorney has blamed the facility's design in which a pool slide allegedly blocks a lifeguard's view of the hot tub.

The George Family Foundation has donated $2.5 million to establish the George Wellbeing Center at the Greater Twin Cities YMCA's new downtown facility, opening by late January. The center will focus on "integrative health practices," according to the Star Tribune, aimed at reducing stress and promoting positive mental health. It will occupy a 3,500-square-foot space on the second floor of the new facility, located at Gaviidae Common on Nicollet Mall and 6th Street.

The new $17.5 million Charles E. Lakin YMCA, Council Bluffs, Nebraska, opened on Dec. 11, 2017, according to an Omaha.com report. The 73,000-square-foot facility is now part of the YMCA of Greater Omaha, joining a system of nine other local branches.

After nearly two years of renovations, the Ardmore Family YMCA, Ardmore, Oklahoma, re-opened Jan. 6, KXII News 12 reported. The $5.2 million project added air conditioning to the gym, expanded the size of equipment rooms and included the installation of a warm water pool for therapy classes that will begin in Feburary.

The Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA announced it will close the Pottstown YMCA, Pottstown, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 2018, according to a report by The Mercury News. Facility operators said the closing is due to a significant amount of "deferred maintenance over decades [that] has caught up to us.

Club Industry's YMCA briefs features recent notable openings, real estate transactions and renovations among American Y facilities. Do you have news to share with us? Send your news, tips or story ideas to [email protected]. You can also connect with us on Facebook, on Twitter @clubindustry and on LinkedIn.